Ally McCoist: Being named next Rangers manager ‘a dream come true’

Ally McCoist has described the news he is to succeed
Walter Smith as manager of Rangers next season as ‘a dream come true’.

Ally McCoist will take over from Walter Smith as manager of Rangers next season (Pic: Reuters)

The Scottish club confirmed the appointment on Tuesday, announcing McCoist will take over at Ibrox from the end of the 2010/11 season.

The 48-year-old has been part of the Rangers coaching setup since 2007 when Smith brought the former striker back to the club as assistant manager.

Smith confirmed in the summer he would only spend one more season at Rangers and McCoist, who scored 355 goals in 581 games at Ibrox, has long been seen as his eventual successor.

Commenting on the news of his appointment, McCoist said: ‘It was an honour to pull on the Rangers jersey during my playing career, I have enjoyed working with Walter, Kenny McDowall, Ian Durrant and the backroom team as assistant manager and to be confirmed as the next Rangers manager is a dream come true.

‘Over the past few years I have been privileged to learn from one of the greatest managers in world football and Walter’s record speaks for itself.

‘The success he brought to Rangers during 9-in-a-row and the last four years in difficult times has been unbelievable and he has rightly gained the respect of everyone in the game.

‘I am delighted to be following in his footsteps and I will do everything possible to bring further success to this club. I have said it many times, Rangers is a special club with a great history and tradition and this is the proudest day of my career.

‘The fans have backed me for almost 20 years as a player and assistant manager and as a lifelong Rangers supporter myself I look forward to rewarding their loyalty by bringing silverware to our club.’

Rangers chief executive Martin Bain confirmed McCoist had been ‘groomed as the next manager’ since his arrival in 2007 and was the board’s unanimous choice to succeed Smith.

Bain said he had offered McCoist the role during Rangers’ Champions League trip to Bursaspor and he had agreed ‘immediately’.

Rangers currently lie second in the Scottish Premier league, eight point behind leaders Celtic, but with two games in hand.